Family Sail in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island

By Victoria@celebratetheweekend

In Adult Birthday

Sep 13th, 2015

23 Comments

12966 Views

Those of you who know me personally or have been following our celebrations on this blog should be well aware of my birthday “obsession”. I just have to do something special with my loved ones on our birthdays to mark the day! About half the time, my birthday falls on a weekend (or Labor Day Monday), making it easier to plan a family celebration. This year it fell on a weekday/school day, but with just a little more planning and effort, I still got myself a special family birthday CELEBRATION!

I love everything WATER and for this birthday I thought that sailing in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island, about an hour away from our Massachusetts suburb, would be something an entire family could enjoy. (Our kids are 6 and 16, so it is not always easy to find such activity.)

Being limited to an after school/after work time frame, I booked us on a 90-minute sunset cruise with Cruise Newport, on a 72’ Schooner Madeline. Our sail was at 6:30 pm (sail times vary each season, check the website for all sail times they offer). I reserved our sail a day ahead, and suggest that you book even earlier in the peak of the summer. The vessel is licensed for 49 passengers and it was pretty full during our sail.

Madeline is being readied for our sail

We left our suburb south of Boston at 3:30 pm and made it to Newport in less than 1.5 hour (with traffic). Cruise Newport sails from Bannister Wharf, a lovely waterfront area in downtown Newport, lined with little shops and restaurants. We had about 45 minutes to spare before our sail, so we set down to enjoy some (slightly overpriced) drinks and raw seafood at Black Pearl right next to Cruise Newport ticket booth (which is also where we boarded Madeline).

Now, I am not the “adventurous” type, and having never been on a sailing vessel before, I considered myself somewhat of a “risk taker” when planning this family sail (in line with the “new beginnings” mood of the day. ) I don’t want to disappoint you, but there was nothing really “adventurous” about sailing in Newport Harbor on a beautiful early September afternoon, although it was pretty awesome nerveless! (and frankly, I prefer relaxing over adventurous anyways, especially on my birthday!)

There were several other families with young children on board. Madeline has a special “lowered” area in the front of the vessel that is most suitable (and safe) for young children. Romantic types and groups of friends hang out on the other side, right under the sails.

As the sail progressed and we felt more relaxed, we moved out of the “safety” zone and into the “cooler” parts of the schooner, where all the “action” was.

On a sunset sail in Newport Harbor. You can see the sun about to set in the distance

I already pointed out that it was just too calm of a day for us to have “much” to sail on and we were on motor a lot. When we were “on sails” – my son was happy to take sailing instruction from the Captain.

Complimentary non-alcoholic beverages are offered on all Cruise Newport boats and trips, but Madeleine also offers complimentary champagne and beer during the sunset sail.

As we were making our way through the Newport Harbor, fellow passengers’ friendly and happy chatter made us all feel part of a nice celebratory occasion. There is no “official” narration during the sunset sail, but the crew was happy to share the stories and point to interesting sites, as we passed them- like this one-house taxation-free island, for example:

Our 90 minutes on the water were over way too soon, but what an enjoyable way it was to spend a birthday afternoon with the family.

Madeline sets sail

Newport Harbor

The sun has just set

If you sail with Newport Cruises, keep this in mind:

1. You can book your Madeline sails through November 1 before they close for winter (sails start again in the spring).

2. Children of all ages are welcome on board.

3. While you may be able to book right at their ticket booth at Bannister Wharf on the day of the sail (depending on the day and season), I recommend booking at least couple of days ahead via the website, or by calling 401-847-0298 or emailing info@cruisenewport.com.

4. Plan to arrive 20 minutes prior to your sail time.

5. The nearest parking lot is next to the Mooring Restaurant. (Alternatively, The Newport County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau offers a larger parking lot which is located on America ‘s Cup Avenue about a ten minute walk from Bannister’s Wharf).

6. Wear comfortable shoes, it’s fun to move around the boat (once the sail is set).

7. You can bring snacks, but they ask you not to bring large spreads of food.

8. For the consideration of other passengers, the company asks that you do not make or take phone calls while onboard.

Our visit was arranged in part by Discover Newport. Check them out for all your Newport what to do ideas. We can’t wait to come back to Newport later this month for some wine tasting, ocean drives (and walks!), and grand mansion touring.

HAVE YOU DONE SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY? I AM ALWAYS LOOKING FOR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IDEAS, SO DO SHARE IN THE COMMENTS!

Pin this for later!

This post is part of the exciting collection of travel stories: #WeekendWanderlust at Southern Gypsy and #TheWeeklyPostcard at A Hole in My Shoeand #wkendtravelinspiration at AlbomAdventures. Check them out for your next trip idea!

23 Comments
to “Family Sail in Newport Harbor, Rhode Island”

Our birthdays must be close to the same date. Mine usually falls a few days after Labor Day. I usually request experiences instead of “things” for my birthday, but often the actual experience is on another day.

Happy Birthday!!! We are big on birthdays too and similar to you I am always looking for a relaxing adventure. Most of the time I’m pulled around by my adventurous hubby and kids. So, my day is all about relaxation 😉

That looked like a perfect birthday celebration! I’ve never sailed, but I need to do it. The peace and calm of the water makes it look like a perfectly relaxing time. I’m glad you had a great family time. Sailing is moving up on my to-do list! Thanks for sharing!

I adore the photo of your daughter at the end of the post, but was also glad to see your son’s big smile while steering the boat as well! What a fun way to celebrate your birthday! I am glad you decided on a sailing boat and liked it. I miss sailing, though I was never on a boat this big. Can’t wait to read your posts about the mansions, especially how the little one liked it. I have been holding off on going there because I’m not sure my daughter will care too much for that, even though I love this type of stuff.

Thank you so much, Jolanta! I plan to go back this weekend but the weather might just be too great for spend time indoors. We took Vi to the Bavarian castles and she enjoyed it. I think she is getting a hang of being a tourist (and a travel blogger daughter with all the museums and castles touring that come with it:)

First of all, Happy Birthday! Glad to see that you had an enjoyable weekend and were able to take advantage of it to the fullest. I would of never thought of the idea of sailing to Newport. I’m not a big fan of ocean waters, and waves. I get sea sick very quickly.

[…] an hour away, Newport is an easy day trip from Boston. We like to go boating in Newport Harbor (read our report here), walking the famous ocean Cliff Walk along the Gilded Age historic mansions, and touring around on […]

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

Hi! I am Victoria and I invite you to follow me to sporting and cultural events, on city walks and through the natural wonders – near my family's home in New England and around the world! Read more about me and this website here.